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The Vampire Diaries Review: One Wrong Turn

Let me start by saying this about "The Departed," The Vampire Diaries season three finale that most definitely gave fans plenty to talk about for the next three months:

That was a beautifully shot, very well done concluding few minutes.

From a bloody Damon Hulk Hogan-ing up and fighting back against Dark-laric; to Dark-laric falling dead and Damon realizing why; to Actual Alaric proving, via a pep talk to Jeremy, that not all ghosts on TVD are useless; to Stefan swimming to Matt's rescue; to Elena dying; to... yes, the awakening that ended it all.

Great stuff all around. But a bit of a mess to get there.

Indeed, the finale felt a lot like the back half of season three. There was A LOT going on, but without much of a direction.

Elijah popped up and offered the group a deal. Sheriff Forbes and Mayor Lockwood told Tyler and Caroline they had to flee Mystic Falls. We jumped back in time here and there. Dark-laric apparently used the non-corrupt police force to track down Damon.

It felt like disjointed chaos. It was never clear where everything going, especially as one seemingly big event after another - Elena choosing Stefan, Tyler revealed to be Klaus - took place long before the closing scene. There's nothing wrong with mystery, of course. I'm certainly not advocating that the show telegraph its conclusion.

But there is something wrong when the season finale, the episode to which the past number of weeks should have been building, lacks a flow, like a great many recent storylines were really nothing more than a giant bait and switch to get us to that final moment:

Elena as a vampire.

To me, that's where Julie Plec and company set their sights a long time ago - and everything else was merely a distraction. This is a fascinating development to be sure; I positively cannot wait for the season four premiere, but one terrific payoff doesn't necessarily make up for weeks on end of Elena oscillating between brothers, or the confusing use of Esther, or the back and forth on when or why the Salvatores wanted to kill the Originals.

Again, Elena is a vampire. It doesn't get more intriguing than that. But, man, it took some serious red herrings to get us there.

What will it all mean? Will she remember Damon's shocking flashback cameo now that she's turned? Will that influence her choice of Stefan? Will she embrace the change and grow more self-confident, like Caroline?

Or will she fall into a stupor, robbed of her future and made into something she never claimed she wanted to be? Questions, questions and more questions abound.

In other, WTF-did-that-really-just-happen-news from the finale?

Alaric was killed.. again! Man, TVD. What did we ever do to you? It wasn't enough to say goodbye to Matt Davis once, in one of the greatest scenes in show history, you had to force us to do it again.

I think this one may stick, however, and while Alaric is simply The Man, he hadn't been featured in any main storyline until he went dark and, once that took place, it was really only a matter of time.

Klaus was saved... again! Color me confused on this one. Bonnie chose to save the Original because that meant her loved ones would stay alive. Makes perfect sense. So she body-switched him into Tyler? Where does that put Tyler? Is it just some kind of soul thing? And Klaus is in Tyler's body, but Tyler is still there somewhere, too, and if/when Klaus ever is removed from Tyler, then he'll die... because his body has burned up?

That's how I read it at least. It's far from clear.

Know what else wasn't clear? My TV screen as I tried to watch through tears caused, of course, by Caroline's tears. Candice Accola blubbered away brilliantly here, just moments after cracking us all up with her curling iron line. If Tyler is actually dead, I fear for this beautiful vampire's mental well-being.

Elena chose Stefan. This was overshadowed by that whole turning-into-a-vampire thing, but I bought her reasoning. She played it safe, essentially, selecting the guy who made her "glad to be alive," not the one who "consumed" her being. Fair enough. There's fear that goes along with total consumption, while there's safety in mere happiness.

But the love triangle was laid on a little too thick once again. I'm sorry, but Stefan thought he and Damon were dying and one of his first thoughts was how he felt bad Damon wouldn't make it back in time to say goodbye to Elena? Sort of cheesy, sort of hard to believe.

The scene where Elena was "forced" to choose because she happened to be in the car was, well, lame. And nonsensical. Was she equally far from each? If so, couldn't the brother have just met her someplace in the middle? And don't vampires run REALLY fast anyway. Quite contrived just to prompt a decision from poor E.

Talk about a great deal to digest, Vampire Diaries fans. We'll go through it all tomorrow again in our TVD Round Table.

My overall take for now: the show stumbled a bit this season, it wobbled a lot on the finale in order to get where it wanted to go, but... Klaus as Tyler; Bonnie harboring (and responsible for) this dark secret; Alaric dead and gone; Elena as a vampire. All shocking moments, all leaving me wanting a lot more Mystic Falls. Is it September yet?

I really wish they would stop bringing in new vampires and bring in some more of the Bennett bloodline. Bonnie needs some help with these vampires consistently using her to their own means. Give the girl some back up!!!

jeyda•October 10, 2012 17:10

LOVED IT! Season 3 was the BEST, cant wait for season 4 which is starting TOMORROW! OMG, as soon as i get home from school i am soooo gonna watch it, no doubt. time to see my hotties

Tiff15•October 07, 2012 13:25

I think that there should be a DELENA because Elena says to Damon "maybe if we met first" and now that Elena is in transision her memory's of being compelled comes back so I believe that she will choose Damon!!!! Also when Damon tells Elena what she wants in a man and Damon is all that to Elena! Stefan is her first love and at first it was passion but the Damon got bit and there Stefan went off the rails and Elena will never forget what he did to her so I think that will always be in her mind and I think that will be what makes Elena go to Damon he loves her she loves him also they have a connection being physical and emotional. Stefan has mainly an emotional connection. About the Tyler thing I think (I HOPE) it will be like the time Klaus was in Alaric's body and when Klaus was done with him Alaric came back to life but there is also the fact that no one was in Klaus's body and Alaric had his ring on so when Klaus went to his own body Alaric's ring made him come back to life because it was a supernatural thing that made him like that. I also watched an interview of Michael Trevino and he had made it seem like he was going to be In it for a while after season 4. I just hope that Tyler is still alive because there is NO way that Bonnie would let Tyler die because he has never done anything to hurt her before so she would have had to think about that! Also Tyler and Caroline make an amazing couple a hybrid and a vampire together and their chemistry is amazing and seductive. I new Elena was going to be a vampire, I basically predicted the last episode and it reminded me a little bit of twilight braking dawn part 1 when Bella opened her eyes like that and in a way there are many similarities between vampire diaries and the twilight saga.

subhadeep•October 05, 2012 21:12

Other Delena fans have already said what was needed to be said about why elena should have picked Damon. I will not delve further into this equation however i can firmly say that the writers made a horrible choice by having elena chose Stefan as all hints evidence and even simple logic and common sense point out to the contrary. I will catch the 1st episode of 4 th season however, if i do not get any suggestions of Delena then i will definitely be bidding farewell to vampire diaries as i cannot bear to watch another season of stelena ( a supposed love with no common sense) and i 'm fairly certain that the show will lose a huge amount of viewership as the Delena fan base is by far the largest and most extensive simply because their love is natural and not forced upon.

maria•September 24, 2012 02:45

Love Damnon. Delena forever!

philipiner magomba•September 13, 2012 13:00

wow,i guess its incredible.elena keep it up,damon your super hot,stefan you do have a good heart 4 a vampire. i hope i will meet with u guys

You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure, and even a little danger... I want you to get everything you're looking for. But for right now, I want you to forget that this happened. Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet. Goodnight, Elena.